


It's the Sound of a New Start

by Hollyspacey



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Breakfast, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, F/M, Fluff and Angst, One Shot, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Relationship, Protective Bruce Banner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-06
Updated: 2014-11-06
Packaged: 2018-02-24 08:13:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2574431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollyspacey/pseuds/Hollyspacey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky hasn't fully adjusted to life after HYDRA. Luckily, Darcy is there for him. With waffles. Because breakfast for dinner can cure a multitude of ills.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's the Sound of a New Start

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so this is the first fic I've A) finished, and B) posted, but everyone on here seems super cool, so here goes. Be gentle. :) A one-shot now, but possibly the start of a series if I can get my act together. Un-beta'ed, so all mistakes are mine. Other than that, I own nothing.  
> Title is from 'Now Is the Start' by A Fine Frenzy.

Food. That's all Darcy could think of. Jane was on the brink of an _extraordinary_ discovery and had, as a result, kept Darcy on a tight leash all day. That meant no sneaking off to get coffee downstairs or wandering the halls hoping to bump into someone to entertain her. She would probably still be stuck in the lab if she hadn't put her foot down and demanded Jane get some sleep, threatening to delete all of the research she had just entered into the system.So, forty-five minutes later, after much glaring and some shouting from the brilliant scientist, Darcy was able to drag Jane into her apartment and then slip down the hall to her own. Finally.

Since she was the official babysitter of Jane, Bruce and Tony, or the Science Triplets as she called them, she was able to live rent-free in the uber-fancy Stark Tower. Not too bad for a former unpaid intern. Darcy changed out of her work clothes and slipped into a pair of yoga pants and a Thor t-shirt that Jane had gotten her as a joke. She secretly loved it. Now that she was sufficiently comfy, her thoughts turned back to food. She mentally cursed Jane for making her work through lunch and padded down the hallway to the kitchen that the apartments on this floor shared.

So caught up the thoughts of all the carbs she was about to consume, Darcy strolled into the kitchen not even noticing that someone was already in there. When she saw that she wasn't alone, she let out a tiny squeak. A moment later, she registered exactly who the figure dressed in all black was: Bucky. Or James. Or whatever he wanted to be called. Dude had some identity issues, that was for sure.

"Hey," Darcy said, pretty casually if she did say so herself. He stared at her, looking wary as she breezed past him to look in the cabinets. "Were you about to cook something? I am starving. Jane was too busy making me do work to eat, although why anyone would choose anything over food, I have no idea. Except maybe sleep. Or sex. But it would have to be really good sex."

Darcy caught herself rambling and glanced over at the man beside the counter. He hadn't moved since she had walked in and he looked a little flustered by her. Darcy was used to this. "Hey, dude. Back to Earth. You ok?" He turned towards her and the look on his face about broke her heart. He looked scared and confused and Darcy felt something inside of her freeze.

"Steve isn't here." His soft voice took her by surprise. Darcy waited, hoping he would elaborate. "Yeah, he's on that mission with Clint and Nat. Were you waiting for him? I didn't think they would be back for a few more days." "No. I- Steve isn't here. But I wanted to- I need some food."

Darcy just stared at him. The full details of what HYDRA had done to Bucky were a bit too gruesome for Darcy to want to hear, but she had heard enough to know that HYDRA was severely fucked up. Before Bucky moved into the tower to share the apartment with Steve, there had been a meeting amongst those already living in the tower. Steve sat everyone down and told them the brief version of what Bucky had gone through at the hands of HYDRA. The torture and brainwashing, not to mention the memories that he had begun to regain of the things that they had made him do. The whole situation made Darcy want to cry, or hug Bucky or find the nearest HYDRA agent and tase him in the balls until his heart stopped. Or maybe all three. But this? To be too afraid to get food without Steve there? It made Darcy sick.

She took a moment to revel in the shock of what that little statement implied and then slipped into full Darcy mode. "Ok, well you made the right move coming to the kitchen. Do you want me to fix you something? I was thinking, waffles? Maybe some bacon? There's nothing like breakfast for dinner, right?"

He stood there a moment, perhaps processing her, and nodded. "Yes, I think I like waffles." Darcy grinned and clapped her hands together, twirling around to gather her supplies, "Perfect! OK, so I was thinking chocolate chip waffles, but if you want yours plain, I can do that too." "Chocolate chip is fine." "You got it." Darcy began measuring the waffle mix and mixing eveything together, all the while rambling on about her day.

"...so that's why I'm not allowed to touch anything that is capable of opening up a black hole. Wait-" Darcy turned around to face Bucky, still stirring the waffle mix. She narrowed her eyes and stared at him a moment. "Steve has been gone for two days. Have you eaten since he left?" His silence told her the answer was a big fat no. "Dude! Seriously? You live right down the hall from a fully stocked kitchen. I've been complaining all afternoon because I missed lunch and you haven't eaten in two days?! Why not?" He furrowed his brows, unsure how to answer. "Steve wasn't here and I didn't know if I could. Get food. I wasn't sure if it was ok."

His simple reply took Darcy's breath away. To imagine that HYDRA had damaged him in such a way that he wasn't sure whether he was allowed to eat without express permission. Darcy felt the anger bubble up inside of her, while feeling her heart crack a bit. She looked down into the bowl and realized she had stopped stirring. After a moment, she looked at him and saw his face had fallen back into the blank look he usually had. Darcy turned back around and finished making their meal, finishing her story about her misadventures with expensive technological equipment.

Darcy fluttered around the kitchen preparing their meal only to hear a knock at the door. "Who on Earth could that be?" Darcy wondered aloud, wiping her hands and walking towards the door. As she passed Bucky, she looked at him, He had stiffened up completely and looked for all the world like he was preparing for a fight. "Down boy, JARVIS wouldn't let anyone bad up here." He glanced at her, his brows furrowing, before letting out his breath and relaxing a bit, Well. as much as possible, God, the guy was making her tense.

Darcy walked to the front door and peeked at the monitor showing who was outside. Bruce. "Hey there, Brucey, how goes it?" Darcy crooned as she opened the door. "Hey, Darcy. Is Jane still awake? I wanted to drop off the results of that satellite scan before I went to bed." "Nope, no way. I just got her to bed and you are not getting her all riled up on Science this late. She needs to sleep. You too. Do I have to start dragging you to your apartment too?" Bruce just chuckled, used to Darcy being a mama bear to Jane. "It's alright. It can wait until tomorrow, And I am going to bed right now, no need to tuck me in or anything," he said with a grin. "Good, I have my hands full making sure you and Stark leave the labs once every few days. I don't know if I'm up for having to monitor you once you've left."

Bruce opened his mouth to reply, but something to the right caught his eye and he paused, looking taken aback. "Hello, Sergeant Barnes." Darcy tilted her head a bit so she could see Bucky nod once out of the corner of her eye. After a moment, apparently satisfied there was no threat, he turned back into the kitchen. Darcy turned her attention back to Bruce and realized he was frowning down at her. "What?" Bruce paused, debating whether to say what was on his mind. Darcy narrowed her eyes, sure that she was about to be warned about how dangerous Bucky could be.

Sure enough, in a very low voice, Bruce started to speak, "Darcy, I know you are a big girl, but please be careful around him. I know he looks harmless and Steve trusts him, but we can't even begin to comprehend what he went through and there is no way of knowing if something will set him off." Darcy began to interrupt, but Bruce just held up his hands, "I know, I know. I am only saying this because I care about you. I know what it's like to have to fight a part of yourself and how sometimes, no matter how you try, that dark part of you takes over. I just don't want anything to happen to you."

Part of Darcy was touched, that was the closest thing to affection she had ever seen the good doctor display towards anyone. However, another part of Darcy wanted to scream. Instead she nodded, "Thank you for looking out for me, Bruce. But I don't think you need to. I know his past is all kinds of messed up but as far as I can tell, Bucky is a good guy. I just can't blame him for the things he's done in the past when he wasn't himself. Just like I don't blame you for whatever happens when the big guy makes an appearance. Steve trusts him, and I do too. I'll be fine. Besides you know I always keep my taser within arm's reach." she said with grin. Bruce chuckled, "Yeah, so I've heard. Well, I'm gonna go. Have a good night, Darcy." "You too. Night."

Darcy closed the door and turned back into the kitchen. Bucky was standing against the counter-top where he was before, standing still with that same blank look on his face. Darcy continued making their food when she heard Bucky softly ask, "Do you need any help?" "Sure! Set the table, will you?" He paused, "Alright," and moved to gather some utensils and their drinks. A few minutes later, Darcy grabbed the plates of food and joined Bucky at the table. He stood beside his chair for a moment before sitting down across from Darcy. Hesitantly, he began to eat his food, and for the first time, Darcy saw the tension in him drift away. Apparently the way to a man's heart was his stomach. Good to know.

They ate in silence, which would normally make Darcy antsy, but it was a good silence. For the first time in a long time, Darcy didn't feel the need to fill the quietness with pointless babble. It was kind of nice. Bucky cleaned his plate and Darcy was sure he would take off now that he had eaten, but he surprised her. He sat there a few moments before a look came over his face like he wanted to say something but he wasn't sure how to begin.

"What's on your mind, Buck? Or Sergeant? Actually, what would you like me to call you?"

"James or Bucky. my friends used to call me Bucky but you can call me either one."

She thought for a moment, "Well, we've shared breakfast together so I'm gonna say we're as good as friends. Soooo, Bucky. Whatcha thinking so hard about?"

"I heard your friend, the Doctor. When he was at the door, I heard what he said. When he warned you."

Darcy frowned, "Oh. Listen, he means well-"

"No, it's ok. I get it. I wouldn't trust me either."Bucky sighed, and pushed his hair behind his ear, "I just wanted to tell you that I won't. Hurt you, that is. I know you and Steve are friends, and you are a good person and sometimes I get a little crazy but I would never hurt you. So, thank you for being nice and not treating me like I might snap at any moment."

Darcy was stunned. So the man could talk after all. She didn't realize until that moment just how isolated he had been from everyone. Sure, they were all nice to him and tried to invite him into ther lives, but he was right. Everyone also walked on eggshells around him. Like the Winter Soldier could pop back up at any moment. Which was possible, but they were forgetting that while the Winter Soldier was a part of him, so was Bucky Barnes. She took a sip of her tea and looked at Bucky. He looked like he had maybe said too much, or maybe the wrong thing altogether.

"I'm sorry you heard him say that stuff. Bruce is, well he is a bit overprotective. He didn't mean that you were dangerous necessarily, but that the possibility was there. He is super sensitive to that stuff because of the other guy. But I don't think you are gonna snap at any moment. Steve trusts you, and that is good enough for me. Plus, you've never given me any indication that I should be scared of you. I think you went through some truly horrendous shit but that's not who are." He met her eyes for the first time, an indecipherable look his face. "And I realize it isn't easy, but give the others a chance, they aren't making you feel bad on purpose. Saying they can be a bit wary around new people may be a bit of an understatement." Darcy grinned.

Bucky nodded, "They care about you. I see how they all protect you. It's because you are not a threat. I am."

"You're not a threat unless you want to be. HYDRA took that choice away from you," He flinched at the H word, but Darcy continued, "You have a choice here though. You can be a brand new person if you want." Darcy glanced at him with a smirk, "And I'll pretend you didn't just imply that people only like me because I can't protect myself. People like me because of my charm and sparkling wit and because of my huge rack. Also, the first time I met Thor, I tased him unconscious, so I can totally protect myself, mister."

Bucky threw up his hands and chuckled softly. It was the sweetest sound Darcy thought she had ever heard. "Yes ma'am. I won't mess with you then." He paused, putting on a devilish smirk, "Or your huge rack."

A laugh flew from Darcy's mouth. This was the Bucky that Steve knew, the one he had told her stories about, the one who smiled back at teenage Darcy from history textbooks. "Let's not get too hasty," she chuckled. They looked at each other for a few minutes, faint smiles on their faces. Darcy's long day must have caught up with her then, because she let out a yawn and sat up, stretching. "Ugh, I better go to sleep. I'll bet myeuh-myeuh that Jane will have me up at the ass crack of dawn to Science! and I need lots of beauty sleep or I will be a cranky pants." Bucky stood and helped her carry the dishes into the kitchen and load them into the dishwasher.

They walked out of the kitchen and though the living room towards the apartments. He paused beside her and she stopped and looked at him. "Thank you for the waffles." "No problem. You can cook for me next time, deal?"

"Deal. Although you may regret that when you taste my cooking."

Darcy laughed. "We'll see. Night Bucky."

She was halfway into her apartment before she heard his soft voice drift down the hallway. "Night Darcy."

And if she did a giddy little dance behind her closed door or fell asleep that night with a goofy grin on her face? Well that was no one's business but her own.


End file.
